Apparatus for the gaseous treatment of saccharine juices



N. A. LUCKWOOD.

APPARATUS FOR THE GASIEOUS TREATMENT OF SACCHARINE JUICES.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 9, l9l6.

1 ,1 95.044. Patented Aug. 15, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEEY l.

m. A. LUCKWOOD. APPARATUS FOR T E GASFOUS TREATMENT OF SACCHARINEJUICES.

AtPLlCATION TILED FEB. 9, T9T6- u i l 1 95.044. Patvntod Aug. 10, 191T).

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 w f, T! I I IIIIIIIII NELSON A. LOCKWOOD, OF OGDEN,UTAH.

APPARATUS FOR THE GASEOUS TREATMENT OF SACCHARINE JUICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Application filed February 9, 1916. Serial No. 77,284.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NnrsoN A. Loon wooo, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ogden, in thecounty of Weber and State of Utah, haveinvented certain'new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for theGaseous Treatment of saccharine Juices; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. 7

This invention relates toimprovements in apparatus for the gaseoustreatment of saccharine juices.

I am aware that, in the manufacture of cane sugar, in addition totreating the expressed raw cane juice with lime for defecation purposes,for a long time it has" been customary to sulfur the raw juice, byimpregnating the same with sulfur dioxid, for the purpose of,decolorizing or bleaching the juice. Similarly, in the treatment of theraw diffusion juice from the sugar beet, in addition to the introductionof carbon dioxid, for the purpose of carbonation or causing theprecipitation of the lime salts,

- employed to remove impurities, it has also to flow downwardly, inthinsheets or ril) bon-likc streams, over alternately disposed shelves,oppositely located in a closed receptacle, commonly known as sulfurboxes, while the gases were caused to flow upwairdlv thercthrough andwere partially absorbed by the down-coming juice. This, however,produced more of a bodily contact of the gases with the surface of thejuice,

- and while absorption resulted, it is obvious that the more intimatelythe treating gas or gases are caused to commingle with the juice, themore effective will be the impregnation and absorption.

The primary object of my invention, therefore, is to improve theconditions or methods heretofore employed. by causing the gases to comeinto more direct or inti mate molecular contact with the particles ofthe mass of juice, rather than by surface contact and indirect partialabsorption.

In the accomplishment of this'end, my invention consists broadly ininjecting the raw juice, preferably under a pumping pressure, in theform of spray or jets, into the apparatus, and simultaneously sucking inthe treating gas or gases into intermingled or entrained relationtherewith, by aspiratory action of the injecting means, at the entranceof the apparatus, causing an initial commingling of the juice and thegases. The juice and entrained gases are then conducted through adown-pipe or conduit, of suitable length, to a retarding chamber, havinga series of alternating, oppositely disposed baffle plates or barriers,forming a tortuous passageway through the retarding chamber,

and diminishing the velocity of the ascending liquid, as it rises in theretarder toward a discharge outlet t the upper end thereof. The gasesnaturally act on the juice during the passage through the downpipe, andfurther react on the liquid in the retarder, resulting in more effectiveclarification and bleaching.

The methods of filtering out the remaining:

impurities from the clear juice, evaporation, crystallization, etc, mayobviously be accomplished by the usual apparatus now i employed for suchpurposes.

"From a manufactural standpoint, another object of the invention is toroduce such an apparatus, which is not only simple in construction andoperation, but which is also durable, efficient in action,andcomparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

For the purpose of a. full disclosure, refelcnce is had to theaccompanying drawings illustrating a practical embodiment of theinvention, which will be described in detail in the followingspecification, and-the particular features of novelty of which will bemore mrticularly pointed out in the appended claimsl Referring to thedrawings, in which like characters designate the same parts in theseveral vicws:Figure 1, is a vertical sectional view through the outerreceiving tank, my improved apparatus being shown in elevation, andaportion of the receiving tank, and the down-pipe conduit beingpartially broken away. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal sectional view of theupper portion of my apparatus, showing the disposition of the intaken onthe line 4 of Fig. 2, and'looking downwardly in the direction of thearrow.

1 designates a cylindrical casing, functioning as a mixing chamber,having a flanged open bottom 2 and top 3, the upper end of the casingbeing provided with inlets for the treating gases, the inlet for thesulfurous acid gas '(SO being indicated at 4, and the inlet for thecarbonic acid gas (C0,) being indicated at 5.

The casing 1 is provided with a flanged plate or head 6, snugly seatedWithin the aperture 3 of the casing, its flanged rim portion 7 restingon top of the casing and securely bolted thereto to form a tight topclosure for the mixing chamber. The central portion of the cover 6 isalso apertured as at 8, and may be provided with the circul'ar boss 9,on which is seated the flanged top 10 of an aspirator or injector 11,projecting through the aperture 8, into the mixing chamber, and whichinjector may have an integral bottom plate 12, provided-with a pluralityof jet orifices or nozzles 13, preferably of conical contour, andsodisposed around the bottom plate 12 as to project the incoming. rawjuice, in the form of a spray or a. series of jets, againstthe innersurface wall of the first hollow conical member hereinafter referred to.

Seated on the flange 10 of the injector is the flange 14 of the rawjuice inlet pipe 15, leading from thesource of raw juice supply (notshown) and registering with the hol- The boss 9 14 may suitably lowinterior of the injector. and flanged heads 10 and bolted together.

Centrally within the mixing chamber are suitably supported an alinedseries of truncated hollow conical deflectors 17, and 23, three beingshown in the drawing's. These mnical deflectors may have flaring upperrims 18, 21 and 2%, and cylindrical short extensions 19, 22 and 25 attheir lower ends, but it is obvious that they may merely be simplecones. The upper portion of the cone 17, preferably projectssubstantially in line with the gas inlets 4 and 5, and the nozzle end ofthe injector projects a short distance within the cone 17. The lower orapex end 19 of the upper cone similarly projects within the upperportion of the intermediate cone 20, while the apex end of the cone 20projects within the daring upper portion of the lower cone 23, the apexends.

of the cones having successively greater diameters than the precedingone. The lower end of the cone 23 also projects into a: similarlydisposed conical throat 26, flanged at 27 and securely bolted to thebase flange of the casing 1. This conical throat 26 is also providedwith a flanged apex 28 bolted to the flanged apexend oi an invertedconical tube 29, terminating in one or more tubular sections 30 and 31,which latter are connected by an elbow 32 with the interior lower por-'tion of a retarder or bafliing tank 33, the arrangement forming aconduit, for the intermingled raw juice and gases, between the injectorand the retarder.

. The retarder maybe of sectional construclion and suitable contour,rectan "circular as shownand extends a su stantlal lar, or

distance upwardly alorigside the down-pipe or conduit sections Hand 30,which it su ports by its connection at the base with t e elbow 32, andits upper end by the con necting rib 34. The retarder or bafile tank,itself, may be'suspended within an outer receiving tank, for theclarified liquid, by the cross-channel bars 36, supported by the re.-ceiving tank 35. on which channel bars the lugs 37 of the retarder rest.I

The interior otthe retarder has a series of bailling plates or barriers38 and 39,- alternately projecting inwardly, in opposite directions, andextending substantially beyond the center of the tank, in overlappedrelation, forming an interrupted tortuous passageway for retarding theflow of the ascending gaseousimpregnated liquid. lowermost ballle 39 islocated just above the inlet elbow 32, and is disposed toward the,

opposite side of the tank, and the uppermost batlle 39 is oppositelyarranged and is lo- The cated just below the liquid outlet 40, whichwheel 45, and '46 designates aplug closed drainage outlet at the bottomof the tank 38-.

The cock 43 may be employed for drawing off the more or less settledclarified liquor, remaining in the retarding tank 33,; after operationshave ceased, andthe lower plug-closed drainage outlet 46;may be em-PL jployed'for drawing oif the liquor in the'bot tom of the tank, and whichliquor in the bottom of the tankvmay contain more or lea sediment. Orthese drainage cocks may be utilized in the operation of washing out theretarder tank.

As a matter of fact my device mightbe used independently as aoarbonating or as a sulful'izing apparatus, in which case the juicewould have to be run twice throu h the apparatus; but used conjointly orsinudtaneously carbonating and sulfurizing, the carbonic acid gas (CO isintroduced through the inlet 5, from a suitable source, and thesult'urous acid gas (S0,) is introduced through the inlet 4, from thegenerator for the sulfur fumes, but as these sources of supply may be ofcommon origin, they haubeen omitted from the drawings as unnecessary,not being a specific part of the invention itself. Also the raw juicemay be led from tanks, or directly from the crushers in the case of canejuice, or from the diffusion vats in the case of beet juice. Inpractice, I preferably pump the raw uice through the inlet pipe 15,under an approXlmate pressure of forty pounds, from whence it isdelivered to the injector nozzle 11, and through the orifices 13 in jetsor sprays, leaving a hollow or open central zone, encompassed by thejets, providing a larger surface area for the initial contact of thetreating gas or gases drawn in by the suctional. or inductive action ofthe incoming juice. These jets may be directed to unpinge against theinner conlcal Wall of the first conical deflector, causing a splashingordiverting effect for more thoroughl m xing or commingling the particleso juice and treating gases, the gases sucked into the vchamber 1 beingalso more positively drawn into and through thesuccessive cones, inentrained relation with the juice, by the suction created b the juiceitself passing therethrough. 0 also the juice successively passesthrough the intermediate and lower cones, the upper or base end of theinverted cones being open to allow of the entrance of the gases from thechamber 1 to more thoroughly .permeate the u ce with the treating gasesduring the initlal stage of operation.

As the partially permeated juice passes into the conical throat 26,gases from the bottom of the chamber 1 are also drawn into the throatthrough. the opening 2, and in passing through the throat 2 6 there is a:Jnore or less tendency toward a contraction 'or compression of themixed juice and gas during passage. as it passes through the restrictednecks or apex ends of the throat and, the inverted conical tube section29, in

which latter there is an aftertendency 110 ward gradual expansion as themixture passes therethrough to the cylindrical tube sections below.

Thus the juice. and gases are quite thoroughlv combined initially, theentrained gases further acting on the juice as they pass in cmuningledrelation. in the same direction of flow, to the retards; whereinit isapparent that the mixture is more or less compressed and retarded in itstortuous passage around the batlles, causing in reaction a more intimateimpregnation of the juice in its obstructed ascent to the dischargeoutlet.

Although I have described the invention in detail as illustrated, itwill be undirstood that obvious minor changes might be made in thestructural manufacture of the various elements without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, and without vitiating any of the principlesthereof, and-- Iiaving thus made a full disclosure of my improvedapparatus and the operation of the same, what I claim is In apparatusfor treating saccharine uices, including a receiving receptacle having asuitable outlet and provided with an inlet for a treating gas, incombination with a juice injector, projecting within said receptacle andhaving a nozzle discharge so formed as to direct the injected juicewithin said receptacle in the form of a wall of juice having anopeneentral zone, substantially as described.

,2. In apparatus for treating saccharine juices, including a receivingreceptacle havpg a suitable outlet and provided with an inlet for atreating gas, in combination with a juice injector, projecting withinsaid receptacle and provided with a nozzle end havin a plurality of jetorifices, functioning su stantially as described.

3. In apparatus for treating saccharine juices, including a receivingreceptacle having a suitable outlet and provided with an inlet for atreating gas, in combination with a juice injector, projecting withinsaid receptacle and provided with a nozzle end having a pluraliy oftapering jet orifices functioning substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for treating saccharine juices, including a receivingreceptacle havmg a suitable outlet and provided with an inlet for atreating gas, in combination with a juice injector, projecting withinsaid receptacle and provided with a nozzleend having a plurality ofcircularly disposed jet orifices, for directing the injected juice intosaid receptacle in the form of a wall of jets having a central openzone, substantially as described. In apparatus for treating saccharinejuices, including a closed receptacle. forming a gas chamber, providedwith an inlet for a treating gas, in combination with means forreceiving and conveying the incoming juice and treating gas through andifroin said receptacle, including as an eleinent a hollow truncatedinverted cone, suitably'mounted in said receptacle, and a juice injectordirectly discharging into said hollow cone, substantially as described.

6. In apparatus for treating saccharine juices, including a closedreceptacle, forming a gas chamber, provided with an inlet for a treatinggas, in combination with means for receiving and conveying the incomingjuice and treating gas through and from said recep acle, including as anelement a hollow member, preferably in the form of a truncated invertedcone, suit ably mounted in said receptacle adjacent said gas inlet, anda juice injector directly discharging into said hollow member, ininductive relation to said gas inlet, and functioning in the dualcapacity of a juice inlet and as an aspirator for drawing said treating,gas into said receptacle by the suctional force of the incoming juiceitself, sul zantially as described.

7. In apparatus for treating saccharine juices, including a closedreceptacle, forming a gas chamber, provided with an inlet for a treatinggas, in combination with means for receiving and conveying the incomingjuice and treating gas through and from said receptacle, including as anelement a hollow member, preferably in the form of a truncatei'linverted cone, suitably mounted in said receptacle adjacent said gasinlet, and a juice injector directly discharging into said ho lowmember, in inductive relation with said gas inlet and functioningsubstantially as set forth, and said juice injector being provided withnozzle end having a discharge so formed as to direct the injected juicewithin said holl'ow member in the form of a wall of juice havin; an opencentral zone, substantially as described. I

8. In apparatus for treating saccharine juices, including a closedreceptacle, form.- ing gas chamber, provided with an inlet for atreating gas, in combinatimi with means for receiving and conveying theincoming juice and treating gas through and from said receptacle,including as an element a hollow member, preferably in the form of atruncated inverted cone, suitably mounted in said receptacle adjacentsaid gas inlet, and in juice injector directly discharging into saidhollow membeig'in inductive relation with said gas inlet and functioningsubstantially as set forth. and said juice in' jector being providedwith -a nozzle end having a, plurality of jet orifices, substantially asdescribed.

In apparatus for treating saccharine juices, including a closedreceptacle, formmg a gas chamber, provided with an inlet for a treatings, in combination with means for receiving and conveying the incomingjuice through and from said receptacle, including as elements a hollowmember, preferably in the form cf a truncated inverted cone, suitablymounted in said receptacle adjacent said gas inlet, and a similarlydisposed hoilow throat, communicating with and closing the boltm cl: n:tacle and receiving licdisri'mrui, internal hollow member, and an r duitleading from said her, and a juice iilji: said internal manila"functioning substantial 10. In apparaius w juices, including a revtially receive the ju' c suitable treating: outlet conduit of :ubsmznmit of the action of said during their passage the bination with meansat the nth outlet conduit, operating to ::..a: c uice to flow with aless at: e l-crawl l lion t positiwly retard the final dciur-rv of thejuice and treating gas and. cnubl'izgg: in g s in its reaction on saidjuice to be more this, oughly absorbed thereby, ,atialfy as described.

11. In apparatus for treating saceli' juices, the combination t Y'utlpcIlQl adapted to initially recei e the juice to be treated inconjunction with a suitable treat ing gas, said receptacle beingprovided with an outlet conduit of substantial length. to pen it of theaction of said gas on s id jail-c duriii heir passage tlicrethrough, intour bination with. a retarding chamber at the other end of said outlet,and being provided with internal means for di erting the passage of thejuice and. gases thc rrihrougrn fill positively retard their pas: gcwith a less accelerated movement, cuabiing the gmses to react on theuice to Ciilw a nun-c thorough final impregmition 7* i i in saidretarding chamber, described 12. In apparatus l'm treating samlxarinejuices; the combination of a 210 clmzni'rer a series of alined holler."tr'uu ed inverted cones, suitably mounted in sa d chamber, die apex endof one cone projr ity to the bellow base p i n. or tin" succeeding cone;an inlet ior dehvei'i' juice within he fi st c unm" She len 't to ymr son said uice U'U'fliin "misaid means for intr d u-ing triadic;

gases to said gas chamber, into inzti MM tact with the inc ming raw anda conduit, leadinglron do; :Hlll

3 all} saccharine juice within the first cone of the series; means forintroducing treating gas into said gas chamber; and a conduit leadingfrom said as chamber and disposedto receive-the disc arge from the lustcone of the series, said conduit consisti f bf a plurality of tubularelements, inc mg a conical throat, similarly disposedes said rater--opposed overlapping bailles, for diverting the passage 5 of the treatedjuice there through in a tortuous path and with a less acceleratedmovement, enabling the gases to react on the juice and cause a morethorough final. impregnation and absorption of the treating gas by saidjuice, substantially as described.

15. In apparatus for treating saccharine juices; the combination of agas chamber; an injector for delivering the juice to said chamber at asubstantial pressure; means for introducing a treating gas to saidchamher into contact with said incoming juice; means in said chamber foraiding the initial mixture of said juice and treating gas; a conduitleading from said gas chamber and extending aisubstuntial distance belowsame for conducting said juice and entrained gas from said chamber, inthe same direction of flow, arid enabling said gas to act on said'divertin juice; a retarding chamber at the iower and of said conduitand communicating at its bottom therewith, said retard 1g chamberextending vertically of said conduit, and being provided with adischarge outlet at its upper end; and battling means Within 5 saidretarding chamber for obstructing and the passage of the ascendingtreated juice, causing the same to flow Pf werdly at a diminished speedto permit a prolonged reaction of the gases on the juice and cause amore thorough final impregnat tion and absorption of the treating gasesby said juice, substantially as described 16. In apparatus for treatingsaccharine,

juices; the combination of a gas chamber} a series of alined hollowtruncated inverted cones, suitably mounted in said chamber, the apex ofone cone projecting-in proximity to the hollow base portion of the nextsueceeding cone; an in ector for delivering the saccharine juice under asubstantia v pres sure, within the first cone of the series; means forintroducing treating gas into said chamber into initial contact withthe;

incoming juice; a conduit communicating with the bottom of said gaschamber and disposed to receive the discharge from the last cone of theseries, said conduit extend= ing a substantial distance below saidchamber; u retardingehamber communicating at its bottom with the lowerend of said coir duit, said retarding chamber extendin var,

tically alongside of said conduit and icing provided with a dischargeoutlet at its upper} end; and a series of alternately opposedoverlapping battles located in said retarding:

chamber, for obstructing and diverting the course of the ascendingyciice into a tortuous path, calving the'saine to flow upwardly at adiminished speed, substantially as do scribed.

in testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

NELSON Ar LQCK WOQD.

